It is an abuse of childhood. ... ????

I was checking out what was trending on Twitter earlier on today and came across the name Melanie Philips. I had not heard of her but clicked the link to see what the tweets were about and soon became incensed. She is a writer for (among others) the UK tabloid the Daily Mail (explaining why I had not heard of her) and her latest article "Yes, gays have often been the victims of prejudice. But they now risk becoming the new McCarthyites" is about the 'gay agenda'.

As a lesbian I am looking for all the same rights as anyone else. Not more, not less. Just the same. Because, despite all the things that we can identify to separate ourselves from others, we are actually all the same.

If you want to read the article yourself you can do so here (without bumping up her reader numbers!). After reading it I was compelled to somehow counteract what I had read, and so I signed an online pledge in support of the 'It Gets Better' project. Please do so as well and offer some hope to young LGBTQ people at risk of suicide.

Alot of people think like Melanie Philips, but I like to think most don't.

ACTION ALERT: "Homosexuals Are Sexual Predators" via change.org

Censure Commissioner Bill James for his anti-gay hate speech While most Americans celebrated the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” Bill James, a County Commissioner in Mecklenburg, North Carolina, used it as an opportunity to bash LGBT people. “Homosexuals are sexual predators,” James wrote. “Allowing homosexuals to serve in the U.S. military with the endorsement of the Mecklenburg County Commission ignores a host of serious problems related to maintaining U.S. military readiness and effectiveness, not the least of which is the current Democrat plan to allow homosexuals (male and female) to share showers with those they are attracted to.” It’s not the first time Commissioner James has used his spot on the County Board to promote anti-gay bigotry. During debate over a domestic partnership bill, Commissioner James called homosexuality a “crime against nature” that should be prosecuted by police. And last year, Commissioner James turned to a colleague whose son died from complications from AIDS, and called the son “a homo.” He then compared homosexuality to alcoholism, and argued that all gay people bring AIDS on themselves. We can’t let this kind of hate speech by public officials go unanswered – and we have a chance in the next few days to do something about it. Right now, the rest of the county commission is publicly debating whether to censure James. Condemnation by the commission would send a strong signal that bigotry by elected officers holds no place in our society. Thousands of people from Mecklenburg and around the country already speaking out. Join them by signing the petition to the Mecklenburg County Board and tell them to censure James for his anti-gay attacks: http://www.change.org/petitions/view/tell_mecklenburg_county_board_censure_anti-gay_politician_who_called_lgbt_people_sexual_predators?alert_id=uezSJFIOjS_LhaGcEuIEB&me=aa Thanks for taking action, The Change.org team

Joel Burns: It Gets Better!

I originally posted this to my personal blog but have been asked to post it here as well. It was originally posted an AIM member on Facebook and it made me cry so hard!

Teenage suicide is an increasing problem everywhere, and especially as a result of bullying, and even more especially as a result of bullying due to sexuality or perceived sexuality. It happened when I was at school and it still happens now. Section 28 (the law preventing 'promotion' of homosexuality in schools, and therefore removing alot of the protection that should be available to students against homophobia) has long been repealed and yet I know for a fact that the situation with this kind of bullying has not improved and in many cases homophobia is indirectly even encouraged by staff. It's disgusting and it has to stop.

I have suffered from this kind of bullying at various stages in my life, and that person could have been me. But it did get better for and I agree with Joel Burns when he says that it will get better for everyone else as well. As we get older we are more able to choose the people we surround ourselves with, and we become more confident in ourselves and our choices. Teenagers are at the most vulnerable stage in their lives and to be subjected to any form of bullying is horrendous, but it is particular hard to be bullied and victimised for something that most teenagers don't even fully understand yet.

I have massive respect for Joel Burns for telling this story, and I sincerely hope it is seen and heard by someone who needs to hear it... anyone with a gun or a rope or a bottle of pills in their hands.

It might not ever get easy, but IT GETS BETTER!